(Old Fashioned) Random Swap 2009 Gallery

[VeniceIsSinking]

AsphaltQueen sent me SO MUCH STUFF! I couldn't believe the size of the box. I would have taken a photo of it before it was all unwrapped, but my roomate and I were too anxious (at 10:30 am) to open it that I didn't bother.
Prepare yourself for a million photos.


LOOK AT THIS HAUL!


I said that I'd really like to learn how to knit. She put together an amazing learn-to-knit kit with yarn, patterns, a book, and box with all the things I need!


14 skeins of yarn!!! The white stuff is so soft and lovely. I rubbed it on my roomates face to prove this too her.


The book and binder of patterns! She even purchased the pattern for knit boots I had on my Wist so I could make them myself (hopefully)


Beautiful note cards and a scrabble note to me. I "oooooh!"-ed when I saw the cards. So pretty

BUT THERE'S STILL MORE!


An adorable crocheted octopus! Octopi are my absolute favorite.
The softest (CONVERTABLE!) mittens I have encountered. In love.
and socks with ALPACAS on them! WHAT? THAT'S AWESOME!


And SIX, yes... six! necklaces and 2 rings! Good Lord!


The octopus has watch cogs as suckers. That is awesome.
The tree necklace, though, is my favorite of the lot. I love green.
A jumbly green and blue necklace that is oh so lovely and will be worn a very great deal.
and a sparrow necklace with watch parts that is almost exactly the same as one in my wist. So pretty!


Another sparrow necklace that I absolutely adore.
A watch piece with golden wings!
You can't really make out the rings, but one is a teacup (awww!) and the one with the bird has a watch face as the background.


I was spoiled ROTTEN! and I love love love everything. I can't believe how wonderful everything is and how much work went into this.
AsphaltQueen you are my hero, and you have made everyone sufficiently jealous of your mad swapping skills! Thank you SO MUCH!

[lafemmefatale]

ohmygosh I want that entire swap package!!! I am so jealous!!! (not that my partners haven't been amazing and gracious)

[superhooker]

Wow, AQ, you are the bomb.  That package rocks a llamas socks off...  Every single thing is so awesome!!!

[photojenn]

Oh my goodness, that package gives me swap anxiety and it wasn't even my partner    Awesome package AsphaltQueen!

[AsphaltQueen]

I'm glad you liked everything, VeniceIsSinking! I know you got flaked on in your first and only swap (and then got flaked on by your angel), so I took it upon myself to extra-spoil you this swap. 

The alpaca goodies are from my trip to Peru. I forgot to mention it in the note, but if/when you wash those, make sure you handwash in cold water and dry flat.

And because I'm super-proud of the jewelry, here are some close-ups I took before I mailed all the goodies to you. (All of the images are clickable for those who want to see more detail.)









And my absolute fave that took forever to glue... (inspired by hoppy - you can see her original post here - http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=269753.0 )

[VeniceIsSinking]

Thanks for posting the close-ups! I charged some batteries and took pictures in my pretty dark room because I was so anxious to get them up!

you are amazing and I am forever grateful! Thanks so much!

And oi! That octopus! when I first saw it I thought about your nerves of steel haha.

[SevsOnlyGirl]

Wow,  here I am, late to the party as usual!

superhooker - I love that elephant hat!

AsphaltQueen - socks with alpacas!?  Those are the cutest!

[Jenicat]

Wow, that is a great package!    I especially love the green and blue clustery necklace.   

What an awesome haul!

[lafemmefatale]

i want that octopus!

[lapoli]

What terrific packages so far!

I am very thrilled to show off pictures of what rhymesworange sent me, as she totally spoiled me rotten!

Now as I've started to post, I realize I forgot to take a picture before I opened everything.  She had everything wrapped separately like its own holiday gift!  So, being (semi) well-behaved, I started with the smallest box first and worked my way up.

The first box was a complete surprise, but I am absolutely beaming with smiles and giggles over what she did!  She went through my blog (where I am certain I run on and on about my four-legged children!) and pulled pictures of each of them.  She then compiled them into a little album the highlights the best (and worst!) behaviors of my children and then made a charm bracelet from it!



The second box was housing this little gnome tape measurer! (Uhm, the tape measure comes from his rear )



As my tape measurers often escape to the same hideaway that my US7 DPNs run off to, I have a feeling he will be harder to lose.

..now it's onto the big boxes!

I think I probably gasped when I opened the first big box.  I had an exquisite crocheted shrug on my Wists and rhymesworange completely duplicated it!







Every single detail is exactly perfect.  This shrug is really, really stunning.  It fits me perfectly, it's really warm and it's adorable!!!!

I hardly knew what to expect for the last box because really, she could have sent me a box of coal and I still would have been excited, but when I got a glimpse of what was in the remaining box...





!!!

This shawl is truly beyond words.  The color is perfect, the yarn is lovely (and feels so nice against the skin) and.. wow. 

I totally have pits in my stomach about my swap package as rhymesworange did such a phenomenal job. 

Thank you so much for spoiling me!!! (And for sharing your talents, too!)

(I think I'm going to pick up some knitting, make a cup of tea and sit on the couch in my shrug! )